We still have 7 days to go, so let's see how much better we can do! We haven't yet settled on what model of tables and chairs we're going to buy, and the further above 100% we go, the more we can spend on those to make them more durable and comfortable. Got any links to cool outdoor furniture that you particularly like?

We've also been talking about maybe putting in some heaters and/or a canopy for rainy days, though that would be a pretty big design change from the City's point of view, so we'd have to run it by them first, which would take a while. So that would have to come later.

Another cool addition we'd like to do is integrate some dynamic LED lighting into the parklet, to make its night-time look a little more interesting than just what the streetlight overhead provides.

A few people have asked about plants. We've been considering suspending plants from the walls of the parklet in pouches, something like this:

So, the farther we go above our goal, the more of these pouches of sedums and/or epiphytes we can add to the parklet.

I'm a little skeptical about their survivability in this environment, though. In SOMA, "plant" is typically interpreted by the natives as "ashtray or trashcan". But we'll give it a shot.

As an incentive, I've added another reward level: pledge $200, and we'll give you one of the prototypes of the fins that will comprise the front wall of the parklet! This is an interestingly-shaped piece of steel, about 4' high and 1/8" thick. The animation shows them being solid, but in reality they will have some cool curvy holes cut into them. We're having them plasma-cut very soon, and we're going to run off a few extra.

7 Responses:

And sometimes a urinal! I like the idea of plants, but might recommend a grille of some sort. . . Also, would patio heaters require additional approvals? I mean, before you lock them down they're theoretically just portable furniture.

A better way to go, but certainly more complicated. In the short term, adding in a place to store the tanks, and something to mount supports to might not be a bad idea. It'd make future expansion much easier, whether it be heaters, or the installation of a canopy.